Old Engine Oil

[rmaynard 16,175]

I found 3 quarts of 30W oil yesterday for $3.00 each. After some discussion on another thread, I thought I'd move this discussion to Engines.

Here is the oil.

 

 

I was unable to decipher the date code. So I poured it into a clear pitcher.

You will notice that toward the end of the pour, some dark clouds of sediment floated up. Hmmm. I'm letting it sit for 24 hours and will inspect tomorrow.

What do you think of the color? To me it looks like motor oil used to look back before everything became clear.

[WHX?? 51,330]

4 minutes ago, rmaynard said:

What do you think of the color?

Looks fine to me. I buy 30 wt in five gallon buckets and have noticed blackish sediment towards the bottom of the container. Never really worried about it tho. 

You get in any trouble Bob using your wife's good pitcher like that?? 

[ebinmaine 71,762]

4 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

blackish sediment towards the bottom of the container

 

That is FAILED oil. 

 

The Additive Package has fallen out of suspension causing that oil to be expired. 

 

Would I put that in an engine?  ...  ABSOLUTELY NOT.  

 

 

Here's a short video explaining why:

 

 

 

 

Lake Speed Jr. The Motor Oil Geek has a much longer video explaining the process and reasons.  

 

 

 

 

 

It's your money and engines folks. Do what you like. 

 

Science has proven that shouldn't be used for engine protection.  

 

Use it in your lube cans like in the first video.  

 

 

 

[rmaynard 16,175]

14 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Looks fine to me. I buy 30 wt in five gallon buckets and have noticed blackish sediment towards the bottom of the container. Never really worried about it tho. 

You get in any trouble Bob using your wife's good pitcher like that?? 

No trouble. The pitcher is something that came in a box lot from an auction. I knew it would come in handy for something some day.

[rmaynard 16,175]

9 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

That is FAILED oil. 

 

Science has proven that shouldn't be used for engine protection.  

Not to be argumentative, but how much worse can it be than the basic 30W oil that Wheel Horse put in back in 1961?

[ebinmaine 71,762]

4 minutes ago, rmaynard said:

Not to be argumentative, but how much worse can it be than the basic 30W oil that Wheel Horse put in back in 1961?

 

Could be comparable. I've never seen the specs of the 60s oils. 

 

The reason I personally wouldn't use an oil that's been separated from the Additive Package is that the ZDDP has been at least partially or substantially disabled or settled out. 

That's the specific chemical we need most for protection from engine wear. 

 

 

We go to the trouble of selecting our favorite small engine compatible oils. 

We have lengthy discussions about what each person's preferred oil is. 

 

Why use an oil that is literally settled out of its proper usage?

 

[Horse Newbie 7,315]

[squonk 43,303]

Run it. Filter out the sediment if you like. These are old engines not Indy spec Honda's and Chevy's. You can dump brand new Dino oil into a glass jar and probably see something floating around. 

1 hour ago, WHX?? said:

 

You get in any trouble Bob using your wife's good pitcher like that?? 

That's what dishwashers are for! If sediment is an issue, use the blender! 

Edited June 1 by squonk

[ri702bill 9,185]

Tapping fluid......

[WHX?? 51,330]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

Additive Package has fallen out of suspension

I'll beg to differ EB ...well not differ completely but put it in that K301 re-blender and run like ya stole it. 

Only time I had a engine oil failure is when s certain person who shall go unnamed didn't put oil in it. 

[HyperPete 787]

I'm in the "use it" camp.

I would, personally, put it in the hot sun for a bit, shake it well, then strain it before use.

 

If you are concerned about ZDDP, you can buy it as an additive, alone.  I use it in new engines for the 1st fill after break-in.  It's not cheap, though, so a quart of new oil will be less expensive.

But, I agree, it's still likely much better that the oils from 30 to 50 years ago.

 

Devil's advocate, however, says that oil is cheap, why bother with old oil if there are any doubts?

[wallfish 17,838]

IMO, If it is already sitting on the shelf, just use it.  Maybe it's just me but I have no fear of some slight wear happening in a $150 engine.

I'd be more concerned with the air filter as that's where the wearing particles enter an engine.

A newly rebuilt engine or the expensive vehicle engine is a different story

[953 nut 59,159]

Lake Speed Jr. and the other oil expert were telling you to do exactly what Bob @rmaynard did, put it in a glass container and look at it. Looked good to me and if some additives that were never in oil from the '60s have settled out      No Harm, No Foul 

[rmaynard 16,175]

Here are my non-scientific results. The oil sat from 9:37a.m. Sunday until 1:43p.m. today. I attempted to poured the oil from the glass pitcher back into the original container through a funnel lined with a paper coffee filter. The oil was too thick to go through the filter. So I got a fine mesh brass coffee filter and poured through that. It was very slow, but all the oil went through. There was absolutely ZERO sediment left in the glass pitcher, and surprisingly, no sediment in the filter.

 

Bottom of pitcher

 

Bottom of filter

 

Conclusion: The old oil had no sediment, and I am not hesitant to use it.

 

 

 

[adsm08 2,941]

On 6/1/2025 at 9:53 AM, ebinmaine said:

Science has proven that shouldn't be used for engine protection.  

 

It's also proved that heartaches are healed by the sea.

 

But I wouldn't use oil after the additives settle out.

[ebinmaine 71,762]

24 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

 

It's also proved that heartaches are healed by the sea.

 

 

Mebbe but having friends in low places is more fun...

[SylvanLakeWH 28,077]

So... one question - did the coffee filters work for the morning coffee after their oil separation duties? 
 

 

[Wayne0 1,101]

19 hours ago, rmaynard said:

Here are my non-scientific results. The oil sat from 9:37a.m. Sunday until 1:43p.m. today. I attempted to poured the oil from the glass pitcher back into the original container through a funnel lined with a paper coffee filter. The oil was too thick to go through the filter. So I got a fine mesh brass coffee filter and poured through that. It was very slow, but all the oil went through. There was absolutely ZERO sediment left in the glass pitcher, and surprisingly, no sediment in the filter.

 

Bottom of pitcher

 

Bottom of filter

 

Conclusion: The old oil had no sediment, and I am not hesitant to use it.

 

 

 

How was the coffee?

[rmaynard 16,175]

29 minutes ago, Wayne0 said:

How was the coffee?

Slippery

[adsm08 2,941]

On 6/3/2025 at 8:33 PM, ebinmaine said:

 

Mebbe but having friends in low places is more fun...

 

I have a co-worker who is usually found in low places, but is at the beach this week. How do we score that one?

[ebinmaine 71,762]

7 hours ago, adsm08 said:

 

I have a co-worker who is usually found in low places, but is at the beach this week. How do we score that one?

 

 

Obviously... call Jimmy Buffet.  

[adsm08 2,941]

14 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

Obviously... call Jimmy Buffet.  

 

Uh...... he ded.

[ebinmaine 71,762]

Just now, adsm08 said:

 

Uh...... he ded.

 

That could slow the process.........

[adsm08 2,941]

6 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

That could slow the process.........

 

Maybe Warren Buffet will have an idea. I heard his name in a country song once too.